These small, joyful indulgences are an antidote to life's uncertainties', food trend watchers sayIf you said to a friend that you fancied Japanese food this weekend, they might be forgiven for thinking you meant sushi. But lately a new culinary export from Japan is catching up with fish and rice in the hearts and tastebuds of British foodies.Soft, sweet and full of character, Japanese-style desserts - from mochi ice cream to matcha cookies - have been steadily gaining ground on UK shelves. Continue reading...

Digital bank hopes to tempt switchers with package including in-credit interest and fee-free travel spendingThe battle for bank customers intensified this week, with a new player entering the UK current account market and offering cashback on bills and access to a savings account paying 7.1%.Digital bank Zopa is hoping the perks - which also include in-credit interest and fee-free spending abroad - will tempt switchers to its first day-to-day account. Continue reading...

Bureau of Meteorology warns of damaging winds and possible flooding on Tuesday and Wednesday as potential east coast low develops

But Queensland premier is not in contempt of parliament over the payments, ethics committee finds

Hugo Carvajal faces narco-terrorism and weapon charges amid accusations he helped lead a drug-trafficking groupA former top Venezuelan military intelligence chief has pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court to narco-terrorism conspiracy, drug-trafficking and weapons charges, piling further US pressure on the government of Nicolas Maduro.Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, AKA El Pollo" or The Chicken", was the director of Venezuela's military intelligence under presidents Hugo Chavez and Maduro. On Wednesday, days before his trial was set to begin, he pleaded guilty to four federal counts, related to accusations that he helped lead a drug-trafficking group within the Venezuelan government. Continue reading...

What we learned from the billionaire's three-day, celebrity-studded nuptials which created a stir in VeniceAmazon founder Jeff Bezos and journalist Lauren Sanchez held their wedding ceremony in Venice's Grand canal on Friday, the centrepiece of a three-day gala that drew dozens of stars but also protests by local activists. Here are seven takeaways. Continue reading...

Stuart Machin says labels, designed stop British goods leaking into bloc, add another layer of unnecessary costs and red tape'The boss of Marks & Spencer has called on the government to rapidly reset relations with the EU and criticised new rules which demand extra checks and labelling on products headed from the UK mainland to Northern Ireland as bureaucratic madness".Stuart Machin, the chief executive of M&S, which has 25 stores in Northern Ireland, said that from next week the retailer would have to label 1,000 more products destined for the UK country with not for EU" while another 400 items would require additional checks". Continue reading...

Carmaker's Chinese owner, Geely, looking at options including shifting Emira production from Norfolk to USLotus is planning an end to production of its sportscars in the UK, in a move that would put 1,300 jobs at risk and represent a major blow to the British car industry.The carmaker's Chinese owner, Geely, is looking at options including manufacturing its Emira sportscar in the US, and stopping production at its plant in Hethel, Norfolk, permanently, according to a person with knowledge of the company's thinking. Continue reading...

Antonio Guterres says people are being killed simply trying to feed themselves and their families'Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has said that the Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid" as it called on the Israeli authorities to end its siege on the devastated territory.Palestinian witnesses and health officials say Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on crowds heading toward desperately needed food, killing hundreds of Palestinian people in recent weeks.The Israeli-US food distribution scheme in Gaza, Palestine, launched one month ago, is degrading Palestinians by design, forcing them to choose between starvation or risking their lives for minimal supplies.With over 500 people killed and nearly 4,000 wounded while seeking food, this scheme is slaughter masquerading as humanitarian aid and must be immediately dismantled... Continue reading...

Israel Defense Forces to examine growing evidence of shootings of Palestinians trying to obtain foodThe Israeli military has launched an investigation into possible war crimes following growing evidence that troops have deliberately fired at Palestinian civilians gathering to receive aid in Gaza.Hundreds of people have been killed in recent weeks after being subjected to air attacks, shootings and bombardments by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) while waiting for food to be distributed or while making their way to distribution sites. Continue reading...

No 10 has offered significant concessions to the rebels, estimated to cost around 3bn a year, amid fears over Tuesday's vote

Writer's mother eases hunger strike as Starmer raises Alaa Abd el-Fattah case in phone call with Egypt's presidentThe family of Alaa Abd el-Fattah have expressed cautious optimism that progress is being made to secure the British-Egyptian dissident's release after Keir Starmer, the UK prime minister, managed to secure a long-delayed phone call with the Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi in which the two leaders discussed improving UK-Egypt trade relations.The call coincided with a decision by Abd el-Fattah's 69-year-old mother Laila Soueif to ease her hunger strike in the hope diplomacy may work. She is on a glucose drip in St Thomas's hospital in London. Her decision came after discussions with doctors and her family. She has been on hunger strike for more than 270 days to secure improvement in Abd el-Fattah's jail conditions in Cairo or his release. Continue reading...

The music mogul could face life in prison for racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitutionA lawyer representing Sean Diddy" Combs began delivering the defense's closing arguments on Friday morning in the music mogul's federal sex-trafficking and racketeering conspiracy trial, telling jurors that the government's case against Combs was false" and exaggerated".The defense's closing argument presented by Marc Agnifilo, the lead lawyer of Combs's defense team, marked the final phase of a seven-week trial that has drawn global attention. Continue reading...

Temperatures expected to reach over 40C at the weekend as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos prepares to marry Lauren Sanchez in VeniceThe 28-year-old son of Norway's crown princess is suspected of three rapes and more than a dozen other offences, Norwegian police as they announced the closure of an investigation launched 10 months ago, AFP reported.Police attorney Andreas Kruszewski told a press conference the investigation had been turned over to prosecutors, who would decide whether to press charges. Continue reading...

Attack at market is latest in series by Israeli forces that have killed hundreds of civilians seeking aid

Experts say consumers are unlikely to have any legal rights to defer flights unless the airline's fine print allows it

Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, given life sentence for killing 14-year-old, and attempted murder of three others in Hainault rampageA man has been jailed for at least 40 years for the wicked" murder of the schoolboy Daniel Anjorin during a 20-minute rampage in east London.Marcus Arduini Monzo, 37, fatally slashed Daniel with a samurai sword minutes after the 14-year-old left his home in Hainault on 30 April last year. Continue reading...

Police in Oslo announce charges against Marius Borg Hoiby after months-long investigation involving double-digit' number of victimsOslo police on Friday announced charges against Marius Borg Hoiby, the eldest son of Norway's crown princess, on multiple counts including rape, sexual assault and bodily harm after a months-long investigation of a case that involved a double-digit" number of alleged victims.Hoiby, the son of Crown Princess Mette-Marit and stepson of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Haakon, has been under scrutiny since he was repeatedly arrested in 2024 amid allegations of rape and on preliminary charges of bodily harm and criminal damage . Continue reading...

Compromises include exempting those currently receiving disability benefits and increasing health element of universal credit in line with inflationDowning Street has announced major changes to its welfare bill in an attempt to win the support of more than 120 Labour rebels who had threatened to vote against it next week and hand Keir Starmer a damaging first defeat as prime minister.Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, wrote to Labour MPs on Thursday night to lay out the concessions, which were thrashed out over 24 hours of negotiations between senior rebels and government officials. Continue reading...

Two women and two men held after damage caused to two Voyager aircraft, say counterterrorism policeFour people have been arrested on suspicion of a terror offence after two Voyager aircraft were damaged at RAF Brize Norton in an action claimed by the campaign group Palestine Action, counterterrorism policing south-east said on Friday.In a statement the force said: A 29-year-old woman of no fixed abode, and two men aged 36 and 24, both from London, were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism, contrary to section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Continue reading...

Habibur Masum launched ferocious' knife attack on Kulsuma Akter as she pushed their baby in pram after escaping to women's refugeA violent, jealous, controlling" husband who stabbed his wife to death as she pushed their baby in a pram after tracking her to a women's refuge has been found guilty of murder.Habibur Masum launched a ferocious" knife attack in broad daylight on Kulsuma Akter before leaving her bleeding to death in the gutter" and calmly walking away, leaving their seven-month-old son behind. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Research finds about 1 million people are living with triple threat' that increases risk of diseases such as cancer or diabetesOne in 50 people aged 16 or older in England are at risk of an early death because they smoke, drink too much and are overweight, research has found.This triple threat" increases the risk of diseases such as cancer and diabetes and in some cases means people dying 20 years earlier than they should, a senior doctor has said.12.7% of people in England (5.9 million) are overweight and drink more than 14 units but do not smoke.5.5% (2.5 million) are overweight and smoke but drink less than 14 units.1.4% (600,000) smoke and drink more than 14 units but have a normal weight. Continue reading...

Changes to welfare bill likely to win over moderates, but PM's reputation for embracing tough reforms damaged

Owner Comcast had been trying to offload lossmaking Sky Deutschland for number of yearsSky has sold its German pay-TV business to RTL, the former owner of Channel 5, in a deal that could ultimately value the business at almost 500m.Germany's biggest broadcaster, which is owned by the media conglomerate Bertelsmann, has agreed to buy Sky Deutschland for 150m (128m), and a further up to 377m depending on the future performance of RTL Group. Continue reading...

Crown tells court non-custodial sentence for former police officer was manifestly inadequate'

West Sussex resort comes last again in Which? survey but local residents and visitors are full of praiseJulia Smith was beaming on Bognor Regis beach, her toes wet after dipping them in the sparkling sea, when she discovered that her beloved home town had been named the UK's worst seaside destination. The 58-year-old carer had some stark words for Which?, who conducted the survey.I think it's a bit of snobbery," she said. You need to come down and see it for yourself, don't rely on so-called reports." Continue reading...

This blog is now closed.The foreign minister, Penny Wong, is expected to join a meeting of her Quad counterparts in Washington DC next week.The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said on Friday he would host foreign ministers from Australia, India and Japan on 1 July, with the meeting set to discuss geopolitical issues and China's treatment of Indo-Pacific nations. Continue reading...

Staffers from office of NSW premier and police minister grilled at parliamentary inquiry into Dural caravan plot

Third man sentenced to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter

Report finds black offenders less likely to receive mentoring to help them avoid getting criminal record at early ageBlack children detained by police are 15% more likely to be criminalised", that is charged and put into the criminal justice system, than white children detained for similar types of offences, a study has found.The report by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), which tackles youth violence, found that black children were 14.8% less likely to be offered diversion, which can include mentoring or counselling, that usually results in them avoiding getting a criminal record at an early age. Continue reading...

Law firm says it hears weekly from Ukrainians, including vulnerable women and children, who were turned downUkrainians who fled to the UK after the Russian invasion are being refused asylum by the Home Office on the grounds it is safe to return to Ukraine.Families are trying to obtain a route to settlement, which would enable them to build a life in the UK, commit their children to a British education and improve their prospects for jobs and housing. Some feel they have nothing to return to as they are from areas razed by conflict. Continue reading...

More than 45 individuals being investigated in relation to widespread miscarriage of justiceThe police criminal inquiry into the Post Office Horizon IT scandal is investigating more than 45 individuals, with seven formally identified as main suspects.The investigation, which the police described as unprecedented in size and scale, is the first to examine potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice by those who made key decisions" on Post Office investigations and supporting prosecutions of branch-owner operators. Continue reading...

Judges praise County Durham attraction's remarkable attention to detail' in bringing history to lifeBeamish, the Living Museum of the North, has won the prestigious Art Fund museum of the year award, the largest such prize in the world.Awarding it the 120,000 prize, judges called Beamish a joyous, immersive and unique place shaped by the stories and experiences of its community". Continue reading...

Two of those on doubledecker carrying sixth-form students are in serious condition after incident near EastleighSeven people have been taken to hospital after a doubledecker bus carrying sixth-form college students crashed into a river in Hampshire.About a dozen others were treated at the scene after the bus came to rest upright in the River Itchen. Continue reading...

Liberal Democrats say Conservative leader focused on cheap point scoring' and her MPs are in open revolt'In his final answer Starmer explained how he thought government and business should work together.A true partnership is not two people or two bodies trying to do the same thing. It's two people or bodies realising they bring different things to the table.Government shouldn't try to run businesses. It's done that in the past and it doesn't work particularly well. Continue reading...

Thirty-six Board of Deputies representatives hit by disciplinary action say they remain deeply concerned' about Gaza war

European Council will also discuss broader enlargement policy of European Union towards the western BalkansIreland's Martin also continues on the US trade situation:I do genuinely detect an atmosphere that's focused on getting a deal, both on the US side and on the European Union side, and that's where our focus in Ireland is.Actually getting a deal is important for certainty so that we know the landscape out ahead of us and that industry knows the landscape ahead of it, so that we can protect jobs, which is our number one priority." Continue reading...

Exclusive: Actor talks of difficulties of getting art film' made about tortured artist, played by Riccardo SmacarcioHe is one of Hollywood's biggest stars, having made his name in the 1970s gangster classic The Godfather. Yet, despite his fame and Oscars recognition, Al Pacino struggled for 30 years to make a movie about one of the 20th century's greatest artists because art films" are always difficult to get off the ground".He refused to give up on a drama about Amedeo Modigliani, a tortured genius who faced repeated rejection before his life was cut short in 1920 by tubercular meningitis, aged 35. Continue reading...

Campaign group say piece responds to tech billionaires' dangerous' mission to make humans interplanetaryIn the psychedelic south-east corner of the Glastonbury festival site a rocket has been built to carry Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos on a one-way journey to Mars.The construction is not a hallucinatory vision but a installation designed by the political campaign group Led By Donkeys in collaboration with Block9, an area of Worthy Farm known for its immersive stage designs and diverse music genres. Continue reading...

FCA boss says mortgage charter up for review amid pressure from the chancellor to remove red tape for firms

Colin Campbell fails to overturn convictions for murder of four women by injecting them with insulinA nurse found guilty 17 years ago of murdering four elderly patients has been unsuccessful in an attempt to appeal against his convictions.Colin Campbell was jailed for a minimum of 30 years in 2008 for the murder of four women and attempting to kill a fifth by injecting them with insulin. Continue reading...

This blog is now closedThe court has adjourned for a lunch break.Beale will continue instructing jurors from 2:15pm. Continue reading...

North Korean leader was accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju-ae, widely presumed to be his heir, at opening of Wonsan Kalma tourist zoneKim Jong-un is more accustomed to overseeing ballistic missile launches and political purges, but this week the North Korean leader opted for a change of pace with a family visit to a new beach resort - the vanguard in a tourism drive that may one day include foreign visitors.Kim, who had swapped his trademark Mao suit for a dark suit, white shirt and tie that matched the sandy expanse of Wonsan Kalma, hailed the coastal resort as one of the country's greatest feats" of the year, the state-run KCNA news agency said in a report issued on Thursday. Continue reading...

Commons review into handling of motorcyclist's death will not scrutinise actions of US authoritiesA parliamentary review into how the UK's Foreign Office handled the death of the teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn will not include scrutiny of the role or actions of the US government, it is understood.

Marcus Monzo convicted of killing schoolboy in Hainault, north-east London last yearA man has been found guilty of murdering a 14-year-old schoolboy, Daniel Anjorin, with a samurai sword last year.Marcus Monzo, 37, carried out a marauding attack while in a state of cannabis-induced psychosis in Hainault, north-east London, on 30 April 2024, the Old Bailey heard. Continue reading...

More than 200,000 people expected at Worthy Farm for lineup including Olivia Rodrigo and Irish band KneecapThe gates to Glastonbury festival have opened for 2025 with more than 200,000 ticket-holders set to descend for a long weekend of performing arts and music.In what promises to be a politically charged gathering at Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, campers can expect a mixed bag of sunshine and rain throughout the week. Continue reading...

Attraction at site of former brickworks in Bedford could boost UK economy by 50bn and create 28,000 jobsThe deal to build Universal's new theme park in Bedford was secured with a package of support that included 500m of public investment in rail and road infrastructure, it has emerged.Comcast, the parent company of Universal, is in negotiations over the final scale of the overall government assistance package, which could be expanded beyond infrastructure investment. Continue reading...

Mohammad went missing after becoming separated from his uncles. His family later found his body mutilated beyond recognitionMohammad's family spent four days searching for him after he became separated from his uncles at a food distribution point in northern Gaza.They clung to the chance that he had been arrested by the Israel Defense Forces, as the boy was not among the corpses recovered after troops opened fire. Continue reading...

Passengers urged to reschedule trips, with disruption affecting Nato summit in the Netherlands

This blog is now closed